Man's journey with God leads to baptism at age 87
May 17, 2023
Delbert “Del” Settles made a lifelong commitment to the Catholic faith.
He married a Catholic girl, raised six children in the Church, and helped found Our Lady of Carter Lake (now part of Corpus Christi Parish).
Though he lived the life of a devoted Catholic parishioner, parent and husband, Del hadn’t received any of the initiation sacraments – baptism, confirmation and first Eucharist – to be in full communion with the Catholic Church.
“He was on the edges,” said Deacon Monty Montagne.
The deacon learned of Del’s situation: “I said, ‘You go to church every Sunday. You know much of the Catholic faith. Is there anything that would keep you from joining the Church?’ and he said ‘No.’”
Deacon Montagne invited Del to be baptized.
“He welled up with tears in his eyes and he said he would like to do that,” Deacon Montagne said.
Father Jacob Epstein visited the Settles home several times and brought Del through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults program, also known as RCIA.
Last Oct. 23, at age 87, Del came into full communion with the Catholic Church, celebrating the sacraments during a Sunday Mass at Corpus Christi Parish/Our Lady of Carter Lake worship site. His son Donald was his sponsor.
Del’s walk with God began at an early age. Born the youngest of six, his mother died when he was a baby. His father, a newspaper typesetter, was not able to take care of the children. Five were sent to a home for children, but the home did not accept babies.
Del, then an orphan, was placed in the foster care system, growing up on various family farms.
Throughout his younger years, Del would attend the closest house of worship to the country home in which he was living. He remembers walking to a Latter-Day Saints Church and a Baptist church.
He joined the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Lincoln, Nebraska, then in his early 20s, he met the love of his life, Peggy, at an outdoor movie.
They were married by a priest in a Catholic Church on Feb. 9, 1957. At the time of their marriage, the priest urged Del to become a Catholic, but he was “not willing to take that step at that time.”
The couple lived in Ohio, then returned to Nebraska. He worked at a Veterans Administration hospital, but longed to return to using his skills he learned in the military and got a job serving private jets. After jobs in Grand Island and Des Moines, they settled in Carter Lake while he worked at Eppley Airfield.
After a layoff, Del earned a special mechanical license to work at First Methodist Church in Omaha as custodian and caretaker of their systems. While there on Sundays for work, he would go into a side chapel to worship.
Del and Peggy, now married 66 years, have six grown children Cheryl, Patty, Barbara, David, Donald and Jim.
The children were raised in Peggy’s Catholic faith. For all those years while his family grew, Del attended Mass with them. He supported their religious education.
The family belonged to Our Lady of Carter Lake since the first Mass there in 1970. Del did yard work and helped choose their new pews, removing the old and installing the new. He actively and consistently supported his church over the years.
While he had the keys to the church, “I would drive by during the day and go in and talk to the Lord,” he said. “I felt he was sitting there beside me.”
Del sought and walked with God throughout his life from this challenging childhood through adulthood and parenthood. A lifetime of honoring God finally came full circle to full communion in the Catholic Church.
Del is clearly a man of God, Deacon Montagne said.
“I suspect over time, he did some soul searching. He just needed that last step. I’m convinced the angels were rejoicing,” he said. “It was great to have him baptized in their local church at Carter Lake. It was a happy moment.”